Many of the world’s most repressive dictators have been friends of the United States of America (e.g. Nicaragua's Anastasio Somoza, Guatemala's Carlos Castillo, Iran's last shah, Chile's Pinochet, Cuba's Batista, Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos, Indonesia's Suharto, Zaire's Mobutu Seko, Spain's Franco, Paraguay's Stroessner, Argentina's Videla). Tyrants, torturers, killers, and sundry dictators and corrupt puppet-presidents have been aided, supported, and rewarded handsomely for their loyalty to US interests. Traditional dictators seize control through force, while constitutional dictators hold office through voting fraud or severely restricted elections, and are frequently puppets and apologists for the military juntas which control the ballot boxes. In any case, none have been democratically elected by the majority of their people in fair and open elections.

They are democratic America’s undemocratic allies. They may rise to power through bloody ClA-backed coups and rule by terror and torture. Their troops may receive training or advice from the CIA and other US agencies (e.g. Operation Condor). US military aid and weapons sales often strengthen their armies and guarantee their hold on power. Unwavering “anti-communism” and a willingness to provide unhampered access for American business interests to exploit their countries’ natural resources and cheap labor are the excuses for their repression, and the primary reason the US government supports them. They may be linked internationally to extreme right-wing groups, and some have had strong Nazi affiliations and have offered sanctuary to WW2 Nazi war criminals.

Third World dictators usually grow rich, while their countries’ economies deteriorate and the majority of their people live in poverty. US tax dollars and US-backed loans have made billionaires of some, while others are international drug dealers who also collect CIA paychecks. Rarely are they called to account for their crimes. And rarely still, is the US government held responsible for supporting and protecting some of the worst human rights violators in the world.

The US Marines invaded Nicaragua in 1912, and stayed until 1933, fighting but never defeating the revolutionary Augusto Sandino (Banana Wars). The US created the Nicaraguan National Guard and installed the pro-US puppets Sacasa and Anastasio Somoza Garcia in power. Then Sandino, who had signed a truce and put down his arms, was assassinated by Somoza. General Smedley Darlington Butler, who led the Marines into Nicaragua, explained, “I was a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for an international banking house.” President Franklin Roosevelt put it another way, “Somoza may be a son-of-a-bitch, but he’s our son-of-a-bitch.”

Ayn Rand's capitalist/white endorsement of American expansionism: Rand was racist toward American Indians. "American Indians didn't have any rights to the land, and there was no reason for anyone to grant them rights which they had not conceived and were not using. What was it that they were fighting for, when they opposed white men on this continent? For their wish to continue a primitive existence, their 'right' to keep part of the earth untouched, unused and not even as property, but just keep everybody out so that you will live practically like an animal, or a few caves above it. Any white person who brings the element of civilization has the right to take over this continent." Rand thought it was okay for white people to exterminate aboriginal populations for the sake of capitalism/industrialization. Iris Cremer (1943-2014) and Grover Furr know many facts about capitalism, communism, plutocracies and oligarchies.

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Vince Albanov was born and raised near the Pacific coast of North America but he has lived near the Atlantic coast since the 1980s. He has called Georgia his home since the year 2000. His hobbies and interests include juggling, chess, books and movies. The certified Reverend (zero-point Calvinist) is bilingual and he has been a ghostwriter since 1995.